Collapse of China, India, and Rome
  • 200 and 600 CE, all three classical civilization collapsed (entirely or in parts)
  • suffered from outside invasion
  • nomadic expansion (not as big as before)
China
  • Hans was toppled by a nomadic
  • internal problems
  • Confucian intellectual was less creative
  • central government diminished
  • bureaucrats were corrupt
  • landlords picked up slack, ruling as they wished
  • peasants heavily taxed, sold children into services, social injustice, revolutionary
  • Revolutionary led by Daoists, in 184 CE, Daoism gained appeal,
  • Doaist leader called Yellow turbans attacked weak emperors, demonstrated decline of government morality
  • protest failed leading to growth and prosperity going down
  • killed half of population
  • weak rulers
  • Ruled by Sui dynasty (briefly) followed by Tang
India
  • Guptas In India, was overthrew by a group of Huns
  • tendency broke into political parts
  • ability of emperors to rule declined
  • invasions by nomadic people
  • invaders destroyed Gupta Empire
  • regional princes called Rajput controlled small states , soon converted to Hun princes
  • Religion : Buddhism declined, Hinduism, worship of Devi, Islam started to covert Indians
  • threat from Islam, India fought under Allah
Rome
  • fell due to German invaders, who fought because they were harassed my Huns
  • internals problems
  • political ineffectiveness
  • decay after about 180 CE
  • population declining
  • difficult recruiting for armies
  • Roman emperors were brutal
  • Tax increased
  • political confusion; weak emperors; argument over throne
  • plagues, diseases from trade
  • economic worsen , hired German troops,pay dipped into budget causing higher tax
  • upper class - selfish
  • culture declined religionists, intellectually
  • upper class off springs decreased
  • trade and production declined
  • division weakened western
  • attempts to fix Rome failed
  • German invaders = 5% of population




Classical Merriterrian in prospective

Social
- clear heirachy , Justified by ideololgies
-lowest classes ( Indian untouchables, Chinese mean people, Roman slaves)
- merchants varied Indian-Rome-China
Intellectual Life
-Roman culture adopted Greek culture
-similar to Confucianism in China
- differnt in scientifc belief, and political view
-defended why there were classes (social)
-did not have an offical religion and depended on philosphical ideas
- India had offical relgion to guide thinking
Social cement
Rome
-sense of common purpose
-Repiblican government
-have a say in future of empire
India
-Hinduism, justified heirarchy, reincarnation
-believed it would pay off
China
-Confucianism- values of obedience
Need for social inequallity to govern people, because to "lead" people to get things done
Wealth meant power (ie arisotcrate, merchants)

Inequality as the Social norm
India Hierarchy
-strict social class called the caste system
- divided into main five groups
-determined person actions and qualities
-could not not advance in social classes,but could lower
-born into social classes, was not based on intelligence
China Hierarchy
-based on the the belief on Confucianism
-could rise of lose status
-distant sepertation between Elite and the common people
-woman were exculded from the rules of social classes
-leaders to maintain law
Greece
-democratic
-Athens tried to establish equality
-Sparta had strict social structure
-based on gender
-people were expected to accept their place in society, never challenged
-rebellion resulted in severe punishment
The citizens were expected to accept their roles and fulfil their duties
Spartan woman had higher status than in other societies

Nomad and Cross Civilization Contract and Change
-nomadic people were key agents , brought trades (culture)
-agents for food crops and diseases as well as technology and trade routes

Woman in Patriarchal Soceity
-woman were inferior to men in all society , different level of harshness
- Patriarchal - men ruled
- affected families, husband and father
-woman had no say beyond house work
-woman had basic rights ( right to life)
-India , men seen as gods, woman had to look up to them
- Egypt had queens
- Even in American w/ glass ceilings
- arranged marriage
-men had more property
- female babies would be killed over male babies to decrease population





Christianity-born two centuries before Rome's collapse-widely spread through the Mediterranean as the empire's politically weakend-emphasis on spiritual life and the importance of divine power-emphasized intense devotion and piety, stressing the importance of spiritual concerns beyond the daily cares of earthy life-hoped for better existence after life ended-responded to political instability, growing proverty-moved westward from the Middle East-emphasis on on church organization and structure, copying from the Roman Empire -placed a premium on missionary activity and widespread conversion -stressed exclusive nation of its truth and intolerant of competing beliefs-emphasized beauty of simple life and the spiritual equality of all people, plus the fervor of the early Christians and the satisfying rituals they created Buddhism-became really popular by the growing problems of classical China-emphasis on spiritual life and the importance of divine power -emphasized intense devotion and piety, stressing the importance of spiritual concerns beyond the daily cares of earthy life-hoped for better existence after life ended-responded to political instability, growing proverty -shifted from emphasis on ethics to emotional cult stressing the possibility of popular salvation -spread seriously to China after the fall of the Han dynasty-east Asian form of Buddhism is called Mahayana, emphasis on Buddha as god with status -improved organization w/ priests, temples, creeds, rituals-prayers and rituals could turn ordinary people holy -Buddha became god where people could appeal for solace-believe woman had souls like men and woman got attention for spiritual accomplishments-men valued Buddhist wives because Buddhist activity would keep woman busy-woman liked Buddhism because it led to a more meaning full life-was not popular with Confucian leaders, seen as a threat that might distract people from their loyality to the emperor, and attacked the Buddhist faith (driving out many missionariess)-Daoism reacted to Buddhism -Buddhism had a greater lasting effect in other parts of east Asia-Today about 500 million people count themselves as Buddhist, most live in areas of east and southeast Asia Islam-emphasized intense devotion and piety, stressing the importance of spiritual concerns beyond the daily cares of earthy life-hoped for better existence after life ended-responded to political instability, growing poverty Hinduism-emphasized intense devotion and piety, stressing the importance of spiritual concerns beyond the daily cares of earthy life-hoped for better existence after life ended-responded to political instability, growing proverty -popular appeal after fall of the Guptas-mother goddess Devi-traveled beyond India

5 pillars of Islam
  • Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad;
  • Establishment of the daily prayers;
  • Concern for and almsgiving to the needy;
  • Self-purification through fasting; and
  • The pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able.
http://www.islam101.com/dawah/pillars.html